20 Old Fashioned Cooking Myths You Probably Still Believe

Across the country, people are still cooking using "tried and true" methods they learned from their parents that were actually proven untrue decades ago. Don't be like them! Instead learn which bits of kitchen knowledge are fact and which are fiction:

1. Alcohol evaporates in a dish

This isn't even close to being true, in fact as much as 85% of the alcohol in a dish can remain in the food after it's been cooked. In most cases, it would take 3 hours of cooking to boil out all of the liquor, so you will get a little buzz from eating beer-battered cheese curds.

2. Storing bread in your fridge keeps it fresh

Let's remember why bread goes stale in the first place: over time moisture in the air is absorbed into the bread, filling the starch until it becomes dense and hard. Since your fridge is full of moisture it should be obvious that bread does not belong there. Keep it wrapped up at room temperature instead.

3. Plastic cutting boards are safer for chopping meat

Wooden boards have a reputation for soaking up bacteria from your meat, but they're just as safe as plastic boards. The key is to rinse whatever board you use and sanitize it with a few tablespoons of bleach every so often. Plus, use a separate board for meat.

4. Salting watermelon makes the fruit sweeter

This is a classic summer treat, but there's a little bit of misdirection going on here. Salt isn't sweet, but adding it to your watermelon brings out the water, so each bite tastes sharper. Salt also makes you drool, so you taste more of the juicy watermelon flavor.

5. To lose weight cut fat out of your diet

Your body needs fat just as much as any nutrient. If you replace fatty foods with meals full of carbohydrates, you're not really eating any healthier. Some researchers actually think we should be adding more healthy fats to our diet. Just try to have a bit of everything in moderation.